The Last Frontier is a typical Russian film about the Great Patriotic War, shot with the support of the state. Sterile - everything I want to say about German. It is clearly shot with one goal - to show it in a history lesson to schoolchildren. But no more. There is no story, there is no character development here. Finals, too. Unfortunately, the film does not go into any comparison with another Russian film telling a similar story - Panfilov's 28 Men.

This is not typical war movie, not even by Russian standards. First, it is very rough and bleak as it takes place in the worst possible moment of defense - October 1941 before Moscow. About 2/3 of young officers in training that have been put in the front of German advance actually died in the combat - and no, most of the heroes will not survive the fight.

On the other hand it is unusually realistic. Russians actually used real German vehicles from 1941 from museums and private collections - from PzKpfw38(t) and early StuG III and also halftracks and a lot of cars. Uniforms of the soldiers do match the early war era and their equipment too - so no waves of fake Tigers but also only those kinda pathetic 45 mm anti tank guns. This makes the movie unusually realistic in a way I have not seen before - even though there is a lot of CGI as well.

It is depressing, bloody and rough. I aplaud for this, because the authors have reduced usual patriotism and replaced it with pure desperation. Many young soldiers are scared and know they will not survive this, not their friends, not their loves - it is cruel and desperate fight to the death comparable to, for example, Saving Private Ryan.

It is not a fun show and left me depressed and sad, but also somehow understanding decisions of many soldiers not to run and instead fight for a few minutes more just to die in a rather gruesome way. This is the heroism: Voluntary decision to suppress the fear and rather die than run.

So I can recommend it both for WWII tech fans and for those who would like to learn a bit about the desperation of Soviet command in the autumn of 1941 where everything just seemed lost so they throw even young trainees in the meatgrinder just to buy some days for defense. Both thumbs up!

Now if you have issues with the movie because of the melodrama, because of the patriotic side of it (something we sort are used to from American movies),I fully understand that. But the story is based on real life - so if you don't like that, it would mean you have issues with what transpired.

Of course what also could be true: you just don't like how the theme has been handled. But that would circle back to what I said above. The action and stunts are really well made and the "joke" at the beginning works well too. If you can overlook some of its flaws, there is quite some fun you can have with this. Of course don't take everything as written in stone. To fully appreciate what the men and women (boys and girls) did back then, you probably have to read up a bit on your history ... unless you already know what's up.